The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained herein)

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I'm tempted to write up "Erotic Tentacle Powers" in honor of the holiday, but I could still be talked out of it...

[Steve]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I'm tempted to write up "Erotic Tentacle Powers" in honor of the holiday' date=' but I could still be talked out of it...[/quote']

 

Perhaps in addition to powers, you could do a sample monster for the Halloween holiday.

 

From what little I know of tentacle monsters, one that satisfies itself with high school or college girls wouldn't even need to be all that powerful. One that could give a superheroine problems would be another story entirely.

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Perhaps in addition to powers, you could do a sample monster for the Halloween holiday.

 

From what little I know of tentacle monsters, one that satisfies itself with high school or college girls wouldn't even need to be all that powerful. One that could give a superheroine problems would be another story entirely.

 

I have in mind an alien race, which I have dubbed the "Hentamari"(Hentai+Calamari(Squid)). All Hentamari have at least ten tentacles, hidden inside their humanoid bodies until "needed". Most have shapeshifting abilities, able to imitate other humanoids(including humans). They frequently develop abilities related to attracting, seducing, controlling and conditioning humanoids, for use for personal pleasure and for sale as the playthings of wealthy and corrupt species(e.g. Malvans, the Balxittar merchant princes, Yarundian nobility, Karellan pirates, etc.). A typical young adult Hentamari would have 10 tentacles, shapeshifting, some seduction abilities, and likely a STR in the 20-40 range(suitable for grabbing and restraining a normal human(oid)). Hentamari Barons and Counts are substantially more powerful, capable of posing a serious challenge for a superhero or even a superhero group. I will write up one such example--Count Orgon, an experienced bounty hunter and slave trainer. Above the Barons and Counts are the Dukes and Princes, and above all of them the High King of the Hentamari, whose name is rarely spoken above a whisper and whose fearsome and horrible powers are hidden behind a veil of mystery. As a bonus I'll write up Count Orgon's illegitimate son turned superhero: Captain Tentacle. Captain Tentacle struggles to come to grips with his heritage (and his darker urges) while navigating all the perils and pitfalls of high school and adolescence.

 

As to Tentacle Powers themselves--I'd say, per tvtropes, there's actually two subsets: Combat Tentacles, and Erotic Tentacles. Combat Tentacles can be extremely effective and extremely deadly, capable of ripping crowds of people to pieces in seconds. There are a few different kinds of Erotic Tentacle close encounters:

 

 

1st Kind--consensual, non-traumatic("Hey, would you mind if I stimulated all of your erogenous zones simultaneously using a plethora of fleshy prehensile vaguely phallic appendages, while using my regular hands to solve this Rubik's Cube?" "Why, no, not at all, go right ahead!" "Thanks ever so much!")

2nd Kind--non-consensual, non-traumatic(due to pheromones, magic, psionics or bio-pharmacology(ingested substance))

3rd Kind--non-consensual, mildly traumatic(for some bizarre reason the trauma is less severe than "conventional" sexual assault--hey, that's the way the genre represents it)

4th Kind--non-consensual, extremely traumatic(think PTSD, sanity loss, institutionalization)

 

 

 

Tentacle powers and tentacle monsters can play a few different roles in a scenario:

1. Horror(fairly obviously)

2. Over-the-top eroticism(tentacles were originally used to get past the censors' ban on showing male genitalia)

3. Comedy (hard to believe, but there are examples in anime/manga)

[Steve]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Perhaps the ten tentacles represent the minimum an adult Hentamari would have. Maybe a teenaged version only has six or eight. It could even be a male competition thing among teenaged Hentamari to brag about having more tentacles than their less endowed brethren.

 

For Captain Tentacle, for added fun he could have a magical girl teammate who is an attractive catgirl in her superhero form. Catgirls could be the most tempting humanoid 'prey' for his race's dark urges.

[Lucius]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I want to see the female hentamari while we're at it.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary has a Y chromosome and a Y not? chromosome

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I want to see the female hentamari while we're at it.

 

Lucius Alexander

 

The palindromedary has a Y chromosome and a Y not? chromosome

 

Yeah, I had in mind there would be female hentamari...and they'd be just as lecherous as the males(who themselves are not strictly limited to targeting female humanoids).

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Typical young adult Hentamari

 

 

20 STR 10

20 DEX 20

20 CON 10

10 INT 10

10 EGO 0

20 PRE 10

7 OCV 20

7 DCV 20

5 OMCV 6

3 DMCV 0

9 PD 5

9 ED 5

4 SPD 20

10 REC 6

40 END 4

30 STUN 5

12 BODY 2

 

(150)

 

Powers

5 Extra Limbs(6-10 tentacles)

56 Shapeshift--sight, hearing, touch and smell, any humanoid shape, imitation, instant change, makeover, Costs endurance to activate

24 Really Strong Tentacles: +20 STR , 0 END cost, only with Tentacles(-1/4)

15 Tough Hide: 5/5 Resistant Protection

12 Stretching, +5 meters, may double one dimension of body while halving another, 0 End cost, tentacles only(-1/4)

(112)

 

Skills

5 Charm 14-

2 KS: Sexual Technique, 11-

2 PS: Perform Sexual Technique, 11-

10 +5 OCV with Grab

5 Stealth 14-

3 Shadowing, 11-

3 Concealment, 11-

5 Contortionist, 14-

(35)

300 points total

Complications

15 Lecherous(Common, Strong)

15 DF: Easily concealed, causes extreme reaction(tentacles coming out of body)

10 Social complication--hidden alien

10 Negative Rep--school pervert

 

 

 

[Steve]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I would make a few suggestions on the write-up.

 

1) You could take a limitation that the defenses are halved for their tentacles, and maybe they have regeneration to replace tentacles.

2) It seems strange to not see any languages on the write-up, but that leads me into the next item.

3) Perhaps they have some minor mental abilities? Maybe their tentacles let them acquire knowledge of a race's language and skills that would help them blend in. Perhaps touching a member of the intended race they want to hide among with their tentacles lets them use a VPP that is only for languages, cultural knowledge and skills like that.

4) Along the lines of #4, perhaps they can only take the form of a race they've touched? If they came to Earth, they would not be able to take human shape right away, but would have to use a near-human alien form until they can mug someone and copy their human DNA for baseline form information.

5) They could have some memory wiping ability that lets them erase the memory of encounters with them, perhaps requiring a touch of their tentacles.

6) If they are slave trainers, abilities like one that puts a target into a trance would cut down on resistance against them. Then again, maybe some prefer a victim who struggles.

7) Since they seem to have 10 points available for complications, perhaps a nemesis race of some kind?

[James Gillen]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I have in mind an alien race' date=' which I have dubbed the "[b']Hentamari[/b]"(Hentai+Calamari(Squid)). All Hentamari have at least ten tentacles, hidden inside their humanoid bodies until "needed". Most have shapeshifting abilities, able to imitate other humanoids(including humans). They frequently develop abilities related to attracting, seducing, controlling and conditioning humanoids, for use for personal pleasure and for sale as the playthings of wealthy and corrupt species(e.g. Malvans, the Balxittar merchant princes, Yarundian nobility, Karellan pirates, etc.). A typical young adult Hentamari would have 10 tentacles, shapeshifting, some seduction abilities, and likely a STR in the 20-40 range(suitable for grabbing and restraining a normal human(oid)). Hentamari Barons and Counts are substantially more powerful, capable of posing a serious challenge for a superhero or even a superhero group. I will write up one such example--Count Orgon, an experienced bounty hunter and slave trainer. Above the Barons and Counts are the Dukes and Princes, and above all of them the High King of the Hentamari, whose name is rarely spoken above a whisper and whose fearsome and horrible powers are hidden behind a veil of mystery. As a bonus I'll write up Count Orgon's illegitimate son turned superhero: Captain Tentacle. Captain Tentacle struggles to come to grips with his heritage (and his darker urges) while navigating all the perils and pitfalls of high school and adolescence.

 

I'm reminded of the hack-and-slash superhero game that I saw some guys playing at my local game store. One of the guys decided to play a Splugorth from RIFTS. We called him "Kid Splugorth."

 

JG

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I'm reminded of the hack-and-slash superhero game that I saw some guys playing at my local game store. One of the guys decided to play a Splugorth from RIFTS. We called him "Kid Splugorth."

 

JG

 

...and he's setting aside all his xp for hawt sidekicks, amirite?

 

 

 

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

A few brief comments on the young adult Hentamari:

 

 

1) power-wise, he's fairly intimidating for a group of low-powered heroic characters(175 points or less), still a real threat to a Teen Champions character, and only of mild concern to 400+ point superheroes. More than capable of terrorizing a high school or private college.

2) typically, the young adult will seek to charm/woo a suitable partner by shapeshifting to appear quite attractive and using their charm skill to close the deal. Once the partner has consented to what they believe to be conventional sex, and they are in the heat of the moment, the tentacles come out...

3) because the hentamari uses shapeshift, it can be quite difficult for a victim to identify them correctly. Heroic PCs may have to use one of their own as "bait" to lure the hentamari into a trap(that should be a "fun" discussion...)

4) in the event the hentamari is outright rejected, they will follow/stalk their prey until they find them alone and isolated, before moving in.

5) All Hentamari are lecherous, 1 in 10 are outright sadistic, 1 in 50 are violent and sadistic, 1 in 200 are murderously violent and sadistic. The concepts of personal space and sexual consent are not innate to their culture, and generally are slowly learned by those immersed/exposed to other species. A handful of other species are highly tolerant of them(generally species with open sexuality or themselves accustomed to discrimination from other species), while most either barely tolerate them or openly persecute them(often, to be fair, with very good reason). They are extensively employed in the humanoid slave trade, and also employed as bounty hunters, spies and special personal escorts(e.g., courtesans).

6) Virtually every Erotic power set is potentially available to the Hentamari--they are a highly mutagenically adaptive species, with good latent psionic and magical potential.

 

 

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I would make a few suggestions on the write-up.

 

1) You could take a limitation that the defenses are halved for their tentacles, and maybe they have regeneration to replace tentacles.

2) It seems strange to not see any languages on the write-up, but that leads me into the next item.

3) Perhaps they have some minor mental abilities? Maybe their tentacles let them acquire knowledge of a race's language and skills that would help them blend in. Perhaps touching a member of the intended race they want to hide among with their tentacles lets them use a VPP that is only for languages, cultural knowledge and skills like that.

4) Along the lines of #4, perhaps they can only take the form of a race they've touched? If they came to Earth, they would not be able to take human shape right away, but would have to use a near-human alien form until they can mug someone and copy their human DNA for baseline form information.

5) They could have some memory wiping ability that lets them erase the memory of encounters with them, perhaps requiring a touch of their tentacles.

6) If they are slave trainers, abilities like one that puts a target into a trance would cut down on resistance against them. Then again, maybe some prefer a victim who struggles.

7) Since they seem to have 10 points available for complications, perhaps a nemesis race of some kind?

 

1) I would tend to assume that it only takes a couple points of body to sever a tentacle.

2) I was trying to fit the basic "immature" HM into 300 points.

3) As a default, assume they speak their own language, the Galactic Common Trade language, and the dominant language of one other alien species(e.g., English, Malvan, Ackalian, Mandaarian, etc.)

4) that makes sense, yes--as an adaptive species, they can only shift to forms they've seen or touched.

5) Mind Control, Based on CON(-1/2), 8d6,Telepathic, Set Effect: Forget what just happened, no range, must grab, extra time(full phase, -1/2), usable 8x/day(-1/2), Must Achieve +10 effect(target forgets what happened under mind control)(-1/2), 10 points I think that would cover it, for normal humanoid targets--they'd likely really want to forget what happened anyway, and the +10 mandatory effect would make sure they forgot the mind control as well

6) Young adult HM have not received any "occupational training". Yet.

7) I'll have to give that one some thought. What kind of race would dislike them enough to risk the consequences of failure/capture?

[ErikModi]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Perhaps the Hentamari are a parasitic race, with a relatively small natural form that invades a host body, taking control of it and "re-engineering" it to their purposes. In this way, a Hentamari arriving on Earth could take over the body of human male, looking completely normal and possessing all of the host's knowledge. After a brief "incubation period," the Hentamari has successfully re-engineered the host body, allowing it to exhibit the trademark tentacles and perhaps even assume a completely different form.

 

I also wonder how the Hentamari reproduce. Or course, reproduction is almost certainly their most driving instinct. Either they use other races as "incubators" to grow either Hentamari embryos/eggs/whatever, or actually "inject" a larval Hentamari into a host to be taken over, thus spreading through a population. Another potential method is that the Hentamari require something from their victims, either bodily fluids or psychic energy, and when the Hentamai has collected enough it can reproduce, perhaps by mitosis (splitting into two or more identical creatures) or laying eggs/hatching spores/producing larvae/whatever.

 

This leads one to wonder if, perhaps, the MANNER of collecting the requirement is important. If most Hentamari claim young, unwilling victims because that is how the requirement that spawned them was obtained, and they know no other way, and a minority (or perhaps, majority) of Hentamari only collect reproductive material from willing partners.

[James Gillen]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

7) i'll have to give that one some thought. What kind of race would dislike them enough to risk the consequences of failure/capture?

 

sp-a-a-aace puritans!!!

[James Gillen]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

...and he's setting aside all his xp for hawt sidekicks, amirite?

 

 

 

Well, that thing on the RIFTS Cover is technically a Slaver henchman, and this guy was supposed to be an actual Old God-like Splugorth, except of course he had to fit into beginning-level character points in a (ostensibly) Hero System campaign. Thus the "Kid" part.

But yeah, Blind Warrior Women would be a great entourage.

 

JG

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Shokushujutsu

 

 

Highly skilled Hentamari practice a martial art usable with their tentacles, called Shokushujutsu.

 

3 Grab

4 Escape

4 Disarm

3 Throw

4 Block

4 Chokehold

4 Killing Strike

4 Nerve Strike

5 Offensive Strike

5 Defensive Strike

 

Lots of "special maneuvers" and powers could be subsumed into a writeup for an advanced practitioner. Among other things, fighting somebody with a half dozen or more extra limbs that can strike you from any direction would put you at a serious disadvantage.

 

 

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Perhaps the Hentamari are a parasitic race, with a relatively small natural form that invades a host body, taking control of it and "re-engineering" it to their purposes. In this way, a Hentamari arriving on Earth could take over the body of human male, looking completely normal and possessing all of the host's knowledge. After a brief "incubation period," the Hentamari has successfully re-engineered the host body, allowing it to exhibit the trademark tentacles and perhaps even assume a completely different form.

 

I also wonder how the Hentamari reproduce. Or course, reproduction is almost certainly their most driving instinct. Either they use other races as "incubators" to grow either Hentamari embryos/eggs/whatever, or actually "inject" a larval Hentamari into a host to be taken over, thus spreading through a population. Another potential method is that the Hentamari require something from their victims, either bodily fluids or psychic energy, and when the Hentamai has collected enough it can reproduce, perhaps by mitosis (splitting into two or more identical creatures) or laying eggs/hatching spores/producing larvae/whatever.

 

This leads one to wonder if, perhaps, the MANNER of collecting the requirement is important. If most Hentamari claim young, unwilling victims because that is how the requirement that spawned them was obtained, and they know no other way, and a minority (or perhaps, majority) of Hentamari only collect reproductive material from willing partners.

 

Interesting idea. I already had some notions about special powers re: breeding and reproduction(usable against others), but if they have to do something special in order to spawn offspring or respawn themselves(there's a heck of an option for bringing back a HM villain!), that might fit as well.

[phoenix240]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

...and he's setting aside all his xp for hawt sidekicks, amirite?

 

The Splugorth had to be inspired by certain Japanese cartoon. I'd bet the ranch on it.

[phoenix240]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Typical young adult Hentamari

 

20 STR 10

20 DEX 20

20 CON 10

10 INT 10

10 EGO 0

20 PRE 10

7 OCV 20

7 DCV 20

5 OMCV 6

3 DMCV 0

9 PD 5

9 ED 5

4 SPD 20

10 REC 6

40 END 4

30 STUN 5

12 BODY 2

 

(150)

 

Powers

5 Extra Limbs(6-10 tentacles)

56 Shapeshift--sight, hearing, touch and smell, any humanoid shape, imitation, instant change, makeover, Costs endurance to activate

24 Really Strong Tentacles: +20 STR , 0 END cost, only with Tentacles(-1/4)

15 Tough Hide: 5/5 Resistant Protection

12 Stretching, +5 meters, may double one dimension of body while halving another, 0 End cost, tentacles only(-1/4)

(112)

 

Skills

5 Charm 14-

2 KS: Sexual Technique, 11-

2 PS: Perform Sexual Technique, 11-

10 +5 OCV with Grab

5 Stealth 14-

3 Shadowing, 11-

3 Concealment, 11-

5 Contortionist, 14-

(35)

300 points total

Complications

15 Lecherous(Common, Strong)

15 DF: Easily concealed, causes extreme reaction(tentacles coming out of body)

10 Social complication--hidden alien

10 Negative Rep--school pervert

 

I'd give them higher technique rolls posssibly even a Power related to making their victim experience pleasure if you want the "classic" tentacle monster/demon vibe. Many of them seem to have the ability to create intense sensual pleasure and arousal in victim even unwillingly often uses this power to erode their willpower and corrupt them.

[phoenix240]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Yeah' date=' I had in mind there would be female hentamari...and they'd be just as lecherous as the males(who themselves are not strictly limited to targeting female humanoids).[/quote']

 

Interesting touch of "PC".

 

I haven't seen many "female" tentacle monsters, I have seen men targeted in the source material. It's just very rare (IME). Women seem to be placed in physically horrific monsters and creature more often than men in general it seems both in "serious" fiction and erotica.

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Interesting touch of "PC".

 

I haven't seen many "female" tentacle monsters, I have seen men targeted in the source material. It's just very rare (IME). Women seem to be placed in physically horrific monsters and creature more often than men in general it seems both in "serious" fiction and erotica.

 

Actually, the very first tentacle scene in Urotsukidoji involved a woman seducing a young girl before going all horny demonic tentagropey on her.

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I'd give them higher technique rolls posssibly even a Power related to making their victim experience pleasure if you want the "classic" tentacle monster/demon vibe. Many of them seem to have the ability to create intense sensual pleasure and arousal in victim even unwillingly often uses this power to erode their willpower and corrupt them.

 

Hyper Lovemaking, from the Hyper Seduction power set I posted, would probably work for that, though for a young adult HM it might be at a much lower level(+5 or +10, no Stunning effect), and require a grab and work with the tentacles only(-3/4), costing 3 to 6 points. For the full effect, it'd cost about 27 points total.

[phoenix240]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Actually' date=' the very first tentacle scene in Urotsukidoji involved a woman seducing a young girl before going all horny demonic tentagropey on her.[/quote']

 

I've seen it actually. I wasn't saying it doesn't happen, just that it seems to be fairly rare. Usually the beast is "male' and disguising itself as a woman to get closer to its victim. I haven't seen very tentacle monsters that "identify" as female (or "gay" or lesbian") outside of parody and comedy. Some, but not many.

[phoenix240]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

Hyper Lovemaking' date=' from the Hyper Seduction power set I posted, would probably work for that, though for a young adult HM it might be at a much lower level(+5 or +10, no Stunning effect), and require a grab and work with the tentacles only(-3/4), costing 3 to 6 points. For the full effect, it'd cost about 27 points total.[/quote']

 

That sounds good, thinking about the source material where the targets often stop resisting fairly quickly. I actually have a write up for a tentacle creature around here somewhere. Worked it up for a aborted Magical Girl campaign. Little embarrassing to admit to now. lol

[megaplayboy]

Re: The "Essay"(ESSE/UEH) Project(Warning: mature/controversial content contained her

 

I've seen it actually. I wasn't saying it doesn't happen' date=' just that it seems to be fairly rare. Usually the beast is "male' and disguising itself as a woman to get closer to its victim. I haven't seen very tentacle monsters that "identify" as female (or "gay" or lesbian") outside of parody and comedy. Some, but not many.[/quote']

 

well, it's not surprising, given the target demographic, and what the tentacles are a metaphor/stand-in for. tvtropes said there was one comedy anime where 2 girls and a guy were tied up, and the tentacle monster started assaulting the guy, with the girls commenting "this isn't what usually happens".

 

I think if I ran a game where a tentacle monster showed up, I'd want the male PCs to feel at least a bit apprehensive...